New Jersey on World Cup: The Mix of Excitement and Anxiety Over Hosting the 2026 Event

New Jersey is buzzing with excitement about hosting the 2026 World Cup, despite the event being more than two years away. The announcement that the state will host the final match was made six weeks ago at the ReNew Jersey Business Summit & Expo in Atlantic City, and it was a topic of discussion among attendees. An unscientific poll conducted during the event showed that nearly two-thirds of respondents view this news as the most significant story of 2024, surpassing other options such as the proposed Corporate Transit Fund and the first lady’s effort to earn a U.S. Senate seat.

While hosting such a major sporting event can bring exposure to the state, it does not necessarily guarantee a significant financial gain. Despite this, the majority of survey respondents believe that New Jersey will benefit greatly from hosting the World Cup. Many expressed optimism about the potential economic impact of the event and emphasized the importance of doing it right to maximize the benefits.

Interestingly, despite the optimism about the state benefiting from the World Cup, many respondents do not believe that their own businesses or organizations will personally profit from the event. Nearly half of those surveyed indicated that they do not expect their organizations to benefit from the World Cup on a personal level.

Lauren LaRusso, New Jersey’s head of NY/NJ Host Committee for 2026 FIFA World Cup, emphasized that their goal is to ensure that every region in New Jersey benefits from this global event. She explained that it’s not just about a few matches but has an extensive impact beyond Meadowlands and NYC regions. LaRusso highlighted how this presents an opportunity to showcase South Jersey, Central Jersey and other regions of NJ on a worldwide stage which would allow for investment and development in areas previously unexplored for mega-sporting events.

Overall, while there is excitement about hosting such an international event in NJ, there are also concerns about its economic impact on individuals businesses and organizations may have little direct benefit from it.

Despite these concerns, many survey respondents expressed optimism about how hosting such an international event could positively impact New Jersey as a whole. They believed that if done correctly, it could bring significant economic benefits to various regions across NJ.

In conclusion, while hosting such a high-profile sporting event may come with certain risks and uncertainties regarding financial gains for businesses or individuals directly involved in organizing or participating in it, many people are excited about its potential positive impact on New Jersey’s economy as well as its ability to promote South Jersey and other regions on a global scale through investment and development opportunities provided by mega-sporting events like this one.